After the mammoth task of completing a PhD you’d be forgiven for wanting to kick back and relax, but for one Cambridge scholar that would just be far too easy.

After dedicating years to completing his thesis, geography student Tim Rademacher wasted no time in taking on his next challenge, as part of a bid to row his way into the record books.

Less than a day after he submitted his PhD in plant ecology, he found himself limbering up at the Clare College boathouse, in an attempt to break the record for the world’s longest continual indoor row.

PhD student Tim Rademacher during his latest endurance challenge at the Clare College boathouse

He said: “I’ve been going for about 30 hours so far, and it’s been going ok so far. I am allowed 10 minute breaks every hour.

“I’ve already beaten the heavyweight record, and now I’m going for the overall record, so I’ve still got about 20 hours to go.”

The 28-year-old, who came to Cambridge from Germany, is no stranger to endurance challenges.

In September he broke the world record for the greatest distance covered on a rowing machine in 24 hours, when he racked up over 284 kilometres back in his college’s boathouse.

An accomplished sportsman, he has already represented the university at rugby league, handball and lacrosse, taking up rowing in 2014, when he starred in the Cambridge crew that beat Oxford at the 2015 Henley Boat Races.

His target is the current record of three days and eight hours, which means he’ll remain in his indoor rower until at least Tuesday afternoon.